1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to absorbent pads and, more particularly, to such pads which are used in packaging of meat products for absorbing liquids leaking therefrom and to the method of fabricating such pads.
2. Description of the Related Art
Absorbent pads particularly designed for packaging with meats, poultry and fish food products are used in food markets, poultry processing plants and the like to reduce product display costs and to provide a cleaner, more attractive product. These pads are generally wrapped with the food product on the underside thereof to absorb liquids which may "bleed" from the product. In poultry products, for example, it is customary to place the poultry parts of a given package in a molded shallow tray of foamed plastic or the like. One of these absorbent pads is placed in the bottom of the tray and the poultry parts are placed thereon. The complete package is then wrapped with clear polyethylene or the like. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,846 and 4,770,920 of Lionel M. Larsonneur, one of the inventors herein, disclose one such pad which is constructed of layers of highly absorbent cellulose tissue plus at least a polyethylene backing layer. The layers are bonded together by a plurality of pressure bonds and protected against delamination by the application of melted wax or the like to the areas surrounding the individual pressure bonded spots.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,275,811, 4,321,997, 4,382,507 and 4,410,578 of Alan H. Miller disclose receptacles for containing and displaying food products which tend to exude juices or liquids, which receptacle comprises a tray or bag and an absorbent pad associated therewith. The disclosed pad comprises a mat of liquid absorbent material, an upper liquid impermeable sheet overlying the absorbent mat, and a perforated bottom sheet underlying the absorbent mat. When a food product is positioned upon the upper sheet of the absorbent pad, any exuded liquids flow around the pad and enter the mat by capillary action through perforated openings of the bottom sheet.
Another set of patents of John C. Rhodes et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,940,621, 5,022,945 and 5,055,332, discloses an absorbent pad for meat and poultry products. The disclosed pad includes upper and lower plastic film layers, at least one of which is perforated, and an intermediate absorbent layer disposed between the film layers. The intermediate absorbent layer includes a series of juxtaposed and overlapping material fibers with superabsorbent granules dispersed throughout the absorbent layer and supported by the absorbent material fibers within interstices thereof. The absorbent pads of Rhodes et al function substantially like the pads of the Miller patents listed above.
All of the poultry/meat pads which are known comprise a liquid absorbent mat or laminated tissue pad within a plastic envelope or supported on a plastic layer which is perforated or otherwise rendered permeable to liquid. The liquid must pass through the plastic layer in order to reach the absorbent mat or pad contained therein. Once past the plastic layer, the liquid spreads throughout the absorbent pad by capillary action. However, there are circumstances where the liquid does not readily pass through openings in the plastic layer, in which case it is not absorbed, such as, for example, when meat packages are "shingled", i.e., stacked on edge or in a canted display. What is needed is an improved arrangement in which the effectiveness of the capillary action within the absorbent pads in the interior of the plastic envelopes can be enhanced and extended to reach liquid outside the envelope